Informix beats estimates - 04-30-98

CBS.MarketWatch.com

Informix (IFMX)
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could see its stock rise Friday after edging lower in heavy trading on Thursday. After the closing bell, the company reported earnings that far surpassed what analysts expected. The database company said it earned 3 cents a share in its first quarter, beating analysts' predictions of a 3-cent loss. Revenue rose 12 percent to $167 million a year ago. On Thursday, the company's shares traded 6.8 million shares, more than double the average over the past three months. Informix closed down 11/64 at 9 57/64.

Information technology services provider EDS (EDS)
EDS
reported earnings of 43 cents a share before charges, a penny shy of analysts' estimates. The company saw a $42.5 million charge in its first quarter from the acquisition of Intergraph Corp.'s mechanical CAD/CAM business. Revenue rose to $3.9 billion from $3.6 billion a year ago. Chairman and Chief Executive Les Alberthal said new-contract sales should remain strong throughout the year and sees electronic business, Internet applications and direct- and database-marketing services as areas of growing importance to the company. EDS rose 3/16 to close at 43.

Network Associates (NETA)
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shares jumped after chairman Bill Larson endorsed Wall Street's current-quarter earnings estimate of 59 cents a share. Separately, the developer of network security and management software declared a 3-for-2 stock split and said its president, Les Denend, is retiring. Speaking at the Hambrecht & Quist technology conference in San Francisco, Larson told fund managers he expects yearly sales growth of 30 to 40 percent for the next few years. Additionally, he said more than half of its revenue will come from overseas operations vs. the current proportion of 32 percent. The company said that although Denend is retiring, he will continue to sit on the board. Larson, who is also chief executive, will replace Denend. Network Associates shares added 1 5/16 to close at 68 1/2.

Microsoft (MSFT)
MSFT, -1.81%
could soon face yet another battle. Attorneys general from 13 states are prepared to file an antitrust lawsuit against the software and Internet giant with or without the Justice Department. The states are in their "final stages" of a joint antitrust suit against Microsoft, The New York Times reported. The paper said the states want to act before Microsoft ships its new Windows 98 operating system to PC makers in mid-May and releases it to the public in June. While the attorneys general would not say specifically what their suit would charge, officials in all the states and three other states monitoring discussions told the Times they didn't want Microsoft to use the power of its heavily-used PC operating system to promote the sale of its software. Microsoft fell 3/8 to 90 1/8.

Lycos (LCOS)
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shares jumped 6 1/8 to 61 13/16 after an analyst said the company is entering a partnership to provide online service for AT&T (T)
T, -1.14%
WorldNet, much like the Yahoo!-MCI Internet deal. Neither company would comment on the news. AT&T rose 7/8 to finish at 60 1/8. Lycos also announced it is buying targeted Web content deliverer WiseWire for $39.75 million in stock. WiseWire finds and organizes Internet content by topic, prioritizing sites by popularity. Lycos said users will benefit from the deal immediately with WiseWire's directories being used for categories. Some of WiseWire's management will move over to Lycos: Ken Lang, WiseWire's proprietary technology developer, will become chief technology officer; while its president, Dennis Ciccone, will become vice president of mergers and acquisitions.

Engineering Animation (EAII)
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stock rose after the company's first-quarter earnings came in ahead of expectations. The company, which provides software solutions that identify product defects, said it earned 19 cents a share before charges, 1 cent ahead of the First Call consensus estimate. Engineering Animation's revenue rose 63 percent from last year to $15.8 million. The company's stock rose 1 1/8 to 47 1/8.

Powerhouse Technologies, (PWRH)
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which supplies system software and equipment for online and video lotteries, nailed analysts' estimates in its first quarter. The company reported earnings of 6 cents a share before charges, in line with what analysts expected and above the 3 cents a share reported a year ago. Powerhouse Technologies fell 3/16 to 9 7/8.

AtHome Network (ATHM)
ATHM, -0.51%
will soon provide cable Internet services to the Netherlands. The company said it has an agreement for a joint venture with Dutch cable operators CasTel and Palet Kabelcom. The companies will form AtHome Netherlands, which AtHome said will bring service to over 20 percent of Dutch households. The company said AtHome Netherlands will "create a Dutch high-speed Internet service substantially better than anything available in Europe today." Shares of AtHome slipped 7/16 to 33 5/16.

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